I've been taking why protein in the morning with some fruit, before training, as recommended by my PT; however, I'm beginning to run low on what I have left and was wondering if there is actually any benefit to taking this stuff.

Would some fruit before training (1hr) not be good enough?
Do you really need to consume protein before training?
What are the benefits of taking whey protein?

I'm just wondering if I really need to take it in addition to my normal diet - muesli, fruit, tuna, etc. All I do is a circuit (press-ups, pull-ups, dumb bells) for 20-30 mins, followed by a 4-6 miler each morning.

Whey Protein is excellent recovery protein because of its high biological value and fast absorption rate. I dont have the study on hand but I have read the protein is absorbed within 40 minutes after digestion. This is important after a workout where your muscles are particularly craving for protein.

I and most other people who workout alot take Whey to top up the daily protein intake for muscle growth. It is not easy trying to consume over 200g of protein a day as solid food. However it Whey protein should not be used as a replacement for a good diet.

By the way before you go to bed, drink a pint of milk, as that has the slowest absorption rate. So when you are sleeping your muscles are getting a continual supply of protein and will not catabolize.

The benefits of taking whey protein for the purposes described above are negligible. Refined whey (which constitutes the majority of protein powders) is digested by the body so rapidly that it fails to provide a constant stream of amino acids to the blood stream in order to support muscle growth - unless you are combining it with foodstuffs (such as coconut oil or whole fat milk) that digest *much* slower or take small amounts frequently over the course of the day.

Contractile protein synthesis (or muscle growth) peaks 24-36 hours post-work out, hence the argument of eating whole foods in order to provide a steady release of AAs to the bloodstream to support growth.

Whey protein generally also lacks the vitamins, minerals + cofactors which are actually present in whole foods to aid in the proper digestion / utilisation of amino acids.